News
Mother Ventures is looking at moms as the ‘economic engine’
As families across the U.S. prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday, Allison Stern is looking beyond the single day of appreciation.
Stern just closed $10 million in commitments for her debut early-stage fund, Mother Ventures, which focuses exclusively on the mother as a consumer.
“In the U.S., moms are responsible for 85% of household purchases and have $2.4 trillion in spending power,” Stern (pictured below) told TechCrunch. “The numbers say that moms are the buyers, and they really are a very unique economic engine.”
Stern, a mother of two, is tapping into that spending clout by backing startups that reflect the needs of modern mothers. Since launching Mother Ventures two years ago, she has already deployed $4 million into 13 startups. Her portfolio includes Coral Care, which allows instant booking of pediatric specialists for children with developmental delays, and Tin Can, a popular Wi-Fi-enabled “landline” designed as a retro-style phone for kids.
Before launching her own fund, she co-founded Tubular Labs, a social video analytics startup she helped grow to $25 million in annual recurring revenue prior to its 2023 acquisition by private equity and served as an operating partner at The Chernin Group (TCG), a consumer-focused growth equity firm.
Part of TCG’s investment thesis included backing companies serving ‘overlooked unique audiences with spending power,’ such as Barstool Sports, which originally targeted Boston sports fans, she said.
When Stern set out to launch her own fund, she identified mothers as a similarly underserved market with the potential to deliver superior returns. “I felt like motherhood is the ultimate niche that’s not really a niche,” she said,
Stern convinced Tony James, the former president and COO of Blackstone and current board chair of Costco, to back Mother Ventures as an anchor LP. Other backers of the fund include Jessica Rolph, founder of the child development startup Lovevery, as well as female executives from Netflix, Rent the Runway, and Sesame Street, she said.
She argues that Millennial and Gen Z mothers expect a different set of products from on-demand transportation services such as Zum, to ready-meal delivery from DoorDash, and fintech tools like Greenlight that allow parents to instantly fund a child’s debit card.
“We want healthy things. We want subscription things. We want digital communities,” she said.
However, Stern doesn’t want her fund to be perceived as one that invests only in parenting tech. “It’s a consumer fund, and we focus on the mom as the consumer allows us to be wider in our bets,” she said.
Architect Felix Arome has assumed office as the Director-General of the Front Line Alliance Network (FAN), a political support group with structures across Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.
Arome, a former National Secretary of the Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria Group, formally took over leadership during a handover ceremony.
He thanked the founders of FAN for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to strengthen the group’s structures nationwide ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Arome said FAN would work closely with political groups, individuals and organisations supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
He urged members to consolidate the network’s structures down to the local government level, stressing that responsibilities under his leadership would be based on capacity and performance rather than sentiments.
The new Director-General also assured members that their sacrifices and contributions towards building the organisation would be recognised and valued.
FAN had earlier endorsed President Tinubu for another term in office in the 2027 presidential election.
FC Robo Queens have officially confirmed the return of Adegbuyi Oluwakemi following the expiration of her one-month loan spell with Edo Queens.
Sports247 reports that the talented attacker has returned to her parent club after a successful temporary stint with the Edo-based side, where she helped Edo Queens win the WAFU-B CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers.
Oluwakemi was one of the standout performers during the competition and was subsequently named Player of the Tournament, further highlighting her growing reputation as one of the leading attacking talents in Nigerian women’s football.
Confirming her return, FC Robo Queens posted on their social media platforms:
“Welcome back to FC Robo Queens, Oluwakemi.”
The one-month loan agreement has now formally expired, paving the way for the forward to rejoin FC Robo Queens as the club continues preparations for its upcoming football activities.
Oluwakemi’s return represents another boost for the Lagos-based club, given her impressive form and individual achievements over the past season.
Before her temporary move to Edo Queens, Oluwakemi had already enjoyed a remarkable campaign with FC Robo Queens, winning the 2025/26 NWFL Premiership Player of the Season award.
Her performances have established her as a key attacking figure, and FC Robo Queens will be hoping she can carry her confidence and momentum from the WAFU-B qualifiers into the club’s upcoming challenges.
The club also expressed its appreciation for Oluwakemi’s professionalism throughout her time away and welcomed her back into the squad.
With the attacker now back at FC Robo Queens following a productive spell with Edo Queens, attention will turn to how she fits into the team’s plans as the club prepares for the next phase of the season.
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